Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely roles and pas de deux work. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process during execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, but just acting that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be loaded with substance, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and images that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a different reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
